Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a strong statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this process,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC ran a targeted social media push over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been unacceptable,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner also highlighted the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
